January transfer window 2020

[Wegerleswiggle]

26 minutes ago, savage90 said:

What happened to the right sided player Tony expected to sign last week?

He's being held captive with "defenders". 

[tomphil]

45 minutes ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I don't get your first paragraph.

Are Downing and Johnson not the definition of established Championship players though? Albeit a bit older than ideal. As I said, we wouldn't be able to afford them if they were 28.

Putting Tosin in there is odd, would you not class that as money well spent? I would. Villa were lauded for bringing Mings in on loan last January.

All depends how it works out obviously in terms of value for money with Tosin and co but to keep saying we can't afford a decent championship player is nonsense. When as i've pointed out you combine what has been spent on some of them for the whole packages.

Yes we couldn't afford 2 or 3 at once but add a decent one every summer and you might start to go somewhere and they'll be your player and your asset. Add 2 or 3 Johnsons, Downing or even a loan like Tosin you are just basically filling gaps hoping they all click and take you somewhere. Some of them also end up blocking the way or your own. 

I have to say i was reasonably pleased with Mowbrays summer signings though to be fair but not by the way he's used most of them but that's an old argument. I do wonder how using that money a good defender and good keeper instead would have panned out.

Then you have the building blocks in place to add others instead of gap plugging approach all over the squad we might be facing. Start at the back and invest in quality not quantity.

 

 

Edited January 28, 2020 by tomphil

[Scotland1]

wonder if Brad Smith is on our radar? Left back at Bournemouth I think we were even linked under Coyle to him. He’s just returned back from a full MLS season and won’t be getting much game time. Think he went for six million! 

[Bigdoggsteel]

45 minutes ago, tomphil said:

All depends how it works out obviously in terms of value for money with Tosin and co but to keep saying we can't afford a decent championship player is nonsense. When as i've pointed out you combine what has been spent on some of them for the whole packages.

Yes we couldn't afford 2 or 3 at once but add a decent one every summer and you might start to go somewhere and they'll be your player and your asset. Add 2 or 3 Johnsons, Downing or even a loan like Tosin you are just basically filling gaps hoping they all click and take you somewhere. Some of them also end up blocking the way or your own. 

I have to say i was reasonably pleased with Mowbrays summer signings though to be fair but not by the way he's used most of them but that's an old argument. I do wonder how using that money a good defender and good keeper instead would have panned out.

Then you have the building blocks in place to add others instead of gap plugging approach all over the squad we might be facing. Start at the back and invest in quality not quantity.

 

 

I just wonder though who could we have signed better than Tosin? It's pretty unlikely we could have for the same as his loan fee, would you agree? Of course we can always go back to the Brereton fee and say that we probably could have for that kind of money. Maybe even a CB (4 million) and a GK (2 million). That is frustrating as I whole heartily agree that you need to start at the back when building a team. It has been that way for pretty much every successful team in history. That is a problem we have. 

[roverandout]

4 hours ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

The overall situation is that steady improvement is being made - as evidenced by our league position.

Not steady improvement.  Standing still at best. Going backwards at worst

[Bigdoggsteel]

5 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Not steady improvement.  Standing still at best. Going backwards at worst

We finished 15th last season, we are 11th now. How is that going backwards at this point?  

[Mashed Potatoes]

5 minutes ago, roverandout said:

Not steady improvement.  Standing still at best. Going backwards at worst

Think that's a glass half empty way of looking at it. We are accruing points at a higher rate and look to have a number of young players like Armstrong, Nyambe, Travis who are improving so I for one am more optimistic.

[Angry_Pirate]

2 hours ago, JoeH said:

GK - No Long Term Solution

RB - Ryan Nyambe
CB - Darragh Lenihan
CB - No Long Term Solution
LB - No Long Term Solution

RM - No Long Term Solution
CM - Lewis Travis
CM - No Long Term Solution
LM - No Long Term Solution

AM - Bradley Dack (injured until at least December 2020) / Lewis Holtby

ST - Adam Armstrong / Sam Gallagher (hopefully!!)

I agree with that, and also the inclination to include Rothwell and Rankin-Costello. 

However, Dack (as it stands) will be down to his final 6 months the next time he is fit to play, as will Holtby... and Lenihan most likely won't be Blackburn Rovers player when that happens as I can't see us keeping him again this summer.

Travis could be a star, and bigger fish probably know that.

That leaves Nyambe, who Mowbray massively underrates and it wouldn't surprise me if he got the "Raya" treatment this summer, and three players who perform well 1 in 6 games in Gallagher, Rothwell and Armstong.

If Mowbray is our manager on September 1st, we will be relegated next season. (And I'm not talking about from the Premier League!!)

[Pedro]

28 minutes ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

Think that's a glass half empty way of looking at it. We are accruing points at a higher rate and look to have a number of young players like Armstrong, Nyambe, Travis who are improving so I for one am more optimistic.

Keeping in mind the manager's target of a very strange 70 points...which wouldn't be enough for the playoffs last year (or any in the last 7 seasons) and add today's nuggett of him wanting us to be part of the 'chasing pack'...I think he'll definitely get his wish with his very low aspirations and we'll fail, again.

 

So, in the cold light of day - only one win in seven? Nothing has changed. I can see past the one emphatic win and don't see this 'progress' or more than half filled glass.  Meanwhile, teams with lower expenditure are higher in the league.

 

Anyway...transfers? Where's that winger that was signing last week?

[Pedro]

2 hours ago, JoeH said:

GK - No Long Term Solution

RB - Ryan Nyambe
CB - Darragh Lenihan
CB - No Long Term Solution
LB - No Long Term Solution

RM - No Long Term Solution
CM - Lewis Travis
CM - No Long Term Solution
LM - No Long Term Solution

AM - Bradley Dack (injured until at least December 2020) / Lewis Holtby

ST - Adam Armstrong / Sam Gallagher (hopefully!!)

So a GK, CB, LB, RM, CM & LM. We clearly want to fix the winger situation more urgently than anything else with Jones, Boyle & Jozwiak interest being talked of. We often make the joke that we sign loads of midfielders and we have a plethora of them, but we don't really have long term solutions in that area besides Lewis Travis. 

That's a fair list.

 

...and to think we're going to have to solve that without being able to spend money ?

[roversfan99]

3 hours ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

Yes, but I can't help but feel he falls into the category of player who is blackened now reputationally and regardless of how well he plays, some will never change their opinion of him. 

His reputation is understandably besmirched because he has put in 24 months of consistently shoddy and inadequate performances.

I dont think his performances in recent weeks have been impressive aside from perhaps at Bristol City. He got some praise on here v Preston but I felt he was one of our weakest players.

[Dave S]

A Barnsley fan at work was asking about Richie Smallwood as he has been mentioned on one of their fans sites.

[K-Hod]

1 hour ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

We finished 15th last season, we are 11th now. How is that going backwards at this point?  

Season hasn’t finished yet...

[Rover8T4]

[Bigdoggsteel]

Just now, K-Hod said:

Season hasn’t finished yet...

Ya, exactly you can use that point either way.

[islander200]

9 minutes ago, Jlee1984 said:

Fingers crossed this points to some signings coming in

[Blue blood]

1 hour ago, Bigdoggsteel said:

I just wonder though who could we have signed better than Tosin? It's pretty unlikely we could have for the same as his loan fee, would you agree? Of course we can always go back to the Brereton fee and say that we probably could have for that kind of money. Maybe even a CB (4 million) and a GK (2 million). That is frustrating as I whole heartily agree that you need to start at the back when building a team. It has been that way for pretty much every successful team in history. That is a problem we have. 



Bauer? (The ex Charlton chap.) Put the loan fee to a signing on fee and I imagine Tosin's wages will be more than his, or at worst comparable. Bauer is doing well in this league too, and even if slightly worse, we would be better off in 13 month's time (when Tosin's loan expires.) Failing that, I don't really know, but centre backs aren't that expensive. Different level but Nelson, Todd, Neill for starters were all comparatively cheap for Premiership defenders so it's not like - other than top quality ones - they aren't the most expensive players. Yes I know it was years ago and a different league, but I think the point still stands. More to the point we let the lad Sullivan?) go to Sheff Utd on a free and he's now doing it in the Prem. So yeah, I think there will be options.

3 hours ago, JoeH said:

GK - No Long Term Solution

RB - Ryan Nyambe
CB - Darragh Lenihan
CB - No Long Term Solution
LB - No Long Term Solution

RM - No Long Term Solution
CM - Lewis Travis
CM - No Long Term Solution
LM - No Long Term Solution

AM - Bradley Dack (injured until at least December 2020) / Lewis Holtby

ST - Adam Armstrong / Sam Gallagher (hopefully!!)

So a GK, CB, LB, RM, CM & LM. We clearly want to fix the winger situation more urgently than anything else with Jones, Boyle & Jozwiak interest being talked of. We often make the joke that we sign loads of midfielders and we have a plethora of them, but we don't really have long term solutions in that area besides Lewis Travis. 

Great point. In fairness Downing could occupy one of those slots and it is debatable if Evans could too (i disagree but there's a case) so it's not as dire as it looks. But it isn't good, and it's not even thinking about the squad levels.  

[bluebruce]

2 hours ago, Mashed Potatoes said:

Think that's a glass half empty way of looking at it. We are accruing points at a higher rate and look to have a number of young players like Armstrong, Nyambe, Travis who are improving so I for one am more optimistic.

Same points total as this time last season, pretty sure the LT said that.

[bluebruce]

1 hour ago, Angry_Pirate said:

I agree with that, and also the inclination to include Rothwell and Rankin-Costello. 

However, Dack (as it stands) will be down to his final 6 months the next time he is fit to play, as will Holtby... and Lenihan most likely won't be Blackburn Rovers player when that happens as I can't see us keeping him again this summer.

Travis could be a star, and bigger fish probably know that.

That leaves Nyambe, who Mowbray massively underrates and it wouldn't surprise me if he got the "Raya" treatment this summer, and three players who perform well 1 in 6 games in Gallagher, Rothwell and Armstong.

If Mowbray is our manager on September 1st, we will be relegated next season. (And I'm not talking about from the Premier League!!)

Not sure why you think Lenihan is one you 'can't see us keeping him again this summer'. As far as we know, we haven't had a bid on him since we got relegated to League One. No links to Travis either, ever. I'm sure we can extend Holtby's contract. We may even have an option to do so, we seem big on those lately.

I am also worried about regressing next season with TM at the helm though. Not to a relegation degree, but I feel the rebuild job is set to be too big for his limited skill in the transfer market and with FFP looming.

[bluebruce]

42 minutes ago, Jlee1984 said:

Happens every year. They put in the maximum amount that FFP allows you to put in through owners issuing themselves more shares. I'm guessing 5.3 million is the current limit on that.

Wouldn't expect it to mean anything in particular for transfers. Unless the delay has just been waiting for the usual influx.

[frosty]

1 hour ago, Pedro said:

and add today's nuggett of him wanting us to be part of the 'chasing pack'...

 

Christ talk about aiming low! You’re either going for promotion or you’re not. 

If you talk about wanting to be part of the ‘chasing pack’ or perhaps aiming for a ‘play-off push’ (acting as if the teams above are miles ahead and uncatchable) then you may as well also say you’re happy with mid-table.

[Bigdoggsteel]

34 minutes ago, Blue blood said:

Bauer? (The ex Charlton chap.) Put the loan fee to a signing on fee and I imagine Tosin's wages will be more than his, or at worst comparable. Bauer is doing well in this league too, and even if slightly worse, we would be better off in 13 month's time (when Tosin's loan expires.) Failing that, I don't really know, but centre backs aren't that expensive. Different level but Nelson, Todd, Neill for starters were all comparatively cheap for Premiership defenders so it's not like - other than top quality ones - they aren't the most expensive players. Yes I know it was years ago and a different league, but I think the point still stands. More to the point we let the lad Sullivan?) go to Sheff Utd on a free and he's now doing it in the Prem. So yeah, I think there will be options.

Great point. In fairness Downing could occupy one of those slots and it is debatable if Evans could too (i disagree but there's a case) so it's not as dire as it looks. But it isn't good, and it's not even thinking about the squad levels.  

Our scouting under Souness and even more so Hughes was arguably the best in the country though. So many moves just don't work out and you really feel it when budgets are tight. Far worse wasters than us though, although you wouldn't think it on here!

[bluebruce]

35 minutes ago, Blue blood said:

Yes I know it was years ago and a different league, but I think the point still stands. More to the point we let the lad Sullivan?) go to Sheff Utd on a free and he's now doing it in the Prem. So yeah, I think there will be options.

O'Connell, and he wasn't let go on a free. If I recall it was rumoured to be about 500k. He went to Brentford, not Sheff United, and they sold him on.

[Mashed Potatoes]

27 minutes ago, bluebruce said:

Same points total as this time last season, pretty sure the LT said that.

I meant on a points per game basis compared with the whole of last season.

[neophox]

Signing Curtis or Jozwiak would help!